For those suffering from Coulrophobia, Bozo and his red-nosed brethren are anything but funny or amusing. Surprisingly, the fear of clowns is one of the top ten most common phobias. While it may seem funny that grown men and women alike may shirk in fear from seemingly harmless, albeit doofy characters with over-sized shoes and rainbow suspenders, for them it is no laughing matter. While the cause of Coulrophobia isn't necessarily known and is different for everyone, one common theory holds that the root cause most likely stems from a traumatic childhood experience. Maybe you were squirted by one too many trick flowers while a white faced clown laughed on; or perhaps you had a coat rack in your room growing up that resembled an evil menacing bozo-like character when the lights were off. Whatever the case, I'm sure the release of 'It' did you no favors in overcoming your terrors.
Even as someone who doesn't find clowns particularly malevolent (although annoying ranks high on my list!) that movie definitely made me a bit wary of sewers for awhile, and made me think twice about irritating the wrong red-headed prankster! As phobias are no laughing matter, the same with all mental health problems, it is worth noting that there are steps for overcoming such aversions if you are one of the poor people facing such a crippling and debilitating fear that it impedes your life. There are sufferers who are so petrified of clowns that they are sent into panic attacks at the mere sight of an outfitted clown. There are treatment methods that include hypnotherapy, medications, and immersion therapy; where the patient is forced to face the very crux of their phobia. Luckily, as it isn't everyday that the circus comes to town and you're forced to be faced with those bizarre polka-dot panted clowns everyday, most people are likely to simply avoid them when they can and get on with perfectly productive lives!
Even as someone who doesn't find clowns particularly malevolent (although annoying ranks high on my list!) that movie definitely made me a bit wary of sewers for awhile, and made me think twice about irritating the wrong red-headed prankster! As phobias are no laughing matter, the same with all mental health problems, it is worth noting that there are steps for overcoming such aversions if you are one of the poor people facing such a crippling and debilitating fear that it impedes your life. There are sufferers who are so petrified of clowns that they are sent into panic attacks at the mere sight of an outfitted clown. There are treatment methods that include hypnotherapy, medications, and immersion therapy; where the patient is forced to face the very crux of their phobia. Luckily, as it isn't everyday that the circus comes to town and you're forced to be faced with those bizarre polka-dot panted clowns everyday, most people are likely to simply avoid them when they can and get on with perfectly productive lives!
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